Rounding machine



C. W. BAKER ROUNDING MACHINE May 23, 1950 Filed Dec.

6 Sheets-Sheet l 0 w? 0 f a l M. d 2 6 W fnvenzor Can Vin MBaker May 23,1950 c. w. BAKER 2,508,360

' ROUNDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1945 e Sheets-Sheet 2 [nqen tor Com/ZnMfiai er .May 23, 1950 c. w. BAKER 2,508,360

ROUNDING MACHINE Filgd Dec. 29, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 [wear Corwzn MBaker y 195w c. W. BAKER 2,508,360

ROUNDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 23, 195G c. w.BAKER ROUNDING MACHINE GSheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 29, 1945 [22 P822 WCom/m M fiaer Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES, {PATENT OFFICE GorwinW. Baker, Stoneham, Mass, assignor to United Shjoe MachineryCorporation, Flemington, J.', "a corporation of .New Jersey" ApplicationDecember 29, 19.45, Serial No. 38,285

12 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for rounding the soles of shoesto thedesired peripheral contour through the action of a trimming knife. It isespecially concerned with shoes of the stitch;- down type, in which theexternal shoe-bottom includes {not only an outsole, but also a flange ofthe upper-material which is stitched to the outsol'e at the crease. Inshoes of the above-mentioned character, the bottom-flange subject toirregularities which interfere with the proper advance and trimming ofthe bottom-edge. An object of my invention is to so act 'upon theseirregularities that such difficulties will be avoided. For this purpose,I combine with a rounding knife or other trimming member and a guidemember which determines the relation of the work to thetrimming member,a pressure member situand at the edge of the guide member toward whichthe work advancesand'presenting to the upper "margin of the flange awork engaging surface inclined forwardly and inwardly; Any .projectiOnSfrom the margin are received by the tapered throat, formed between thisinclined surface and the outsole, .and forced inwardly, so the upper-surface of the flange is correctly presented 'at'itheinner side of theguide member, to be cut by the trimming member. Preferably the pressuremember rotatable, and is so arranged that its work-engaging surfacet'rave ls approximately inthe direction of the advance of theworlk.'This a fa s ine fiect up n t e flang a a s avoids .frictional dragfupon the work. By providing for "the pressure member a capacity to movetransversely of the flange, interference with the guidance of the workis avoided. More specifically, theie associated with a trimming "knife,acrease-guide and work-advancing means, a rotatable spindle contactingthe flange of the shoe-bottom at the edge of the guide toward which thework advances and displaceable longitudinally of its axis by the shoe.As herein disclosed, the \flange engajging portion of the spindle isconical. The supporting means,

in which the spindle is rotatable, is best so fir- .ranged fthatgthespindle-end is universally adjustable and may thus :be located exactlyin the s dva ta eous Pos t o Further novel features of the illustratedmachine relate to improved work .feeding mechab 'reduced to a .Theselatter features are not claimed herein, but form the subject-matter of,and are claimed in, my United States patent application Serial No.42,968, a division of this application, and filed on August-6,1948. 4

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one of the several possibleembodiments of the in- -vention:

Fig. '1 shows the more essential portions of my improved roundingmachine in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, looking from the left in Fig. 1;

"Fig. 3 an elevation of the opposite side of the ma in Fig. 51, 2.perspective view of the elements more closely associated with the work;

Fig. :5, a broken top-plan -view of the bottomrestfand the cooperatingfeed-arm;

Fig. 6., a detail, in elevation, of the mounting for the bottom-rest,viewed from the right of the machine; and '3 Figs. '7, 8,9 and 10 are,respectively, enlarged sections on the lines VII-VII, 'VIIL- -VIH, 'I XIX and XX, Fig. '7 showing the means "for oscillating the 'feedgarm,Figs; -8 and -9 the means for producing the work-engaging movement ofthe feed-arm, and Fig. 10 the means for reciprocating the bottom-rest.

' Acons'iderable number of the elements of the present machine aresubstantially the same as in the well {known Goodyear Universal RoundingIandChanneling Machine, Model E as disclosed in Letters Patent of "theUnited 'States No.

$330,606, granted June '25, 1'91 2,upon an applicationfiled in the nameof Frederick H. Perry. Referring first to parts of the present machinewhich ay read y be de fied i e P y patent, a vertical column 20 carriesat its upper extremity a head 22 upon which the various .w r rs i i e' ed ra i m mb are sup- ;ported. A crease-guide 2A of generally U form, toe eive he crease o a s being o erate "on, is :adjusta'bly secured to theupper forward j'port'ion of the head by sl'ot-andgscrew connecftions{226, instead of being arranged .for jveiti 1-1 o c l o as n t e pr v ouy me on ;chine. In "the upper portion ,of the head 223s 'journa-lecl 'ahorizontal shaft 2%, oscillated as will be later "described, and haying'iiked to as forward extremity a 'feed-armejdlly-ing between theopposite arms of the crease-guide. With the crease ;of a shoe applied tothe crease-guide, as appears in Fig; 4, the usual *feed -point fixed tothe reed-arm receives contact'of the flange of; a

.44. ..tremity of the bracket and a collar 88 secured stitchdown-shoe orthe welt applied thereto. Reciprocable in horizontal ways at 32 in thehead is a slide 34, in which is fixed a rounding knife 36 cuttingagainst an anvil set in the feed-point. The construction of theknife-operating means is the same in the present machine as in theabovementioned Perry machine.

Now, to describe the novel features of this invention and the changeswhich have been made in the original machine to adapt it to its presentuse, it may first be said that the mechanisms more directly connectedwith the channeling of the shoe and for varying the extension of itsrounded edge are omitted. Projecting from the lower portion of the headat the front is a stationary sleeve 38, upon the forward end of which isa vertical extension 40 having in its front face a horizontal guideway42 (Fig. In the guideway a slide 44 is movable, it being reciprocatedthrough a forwardly projecting stud 46 1ying in a slot 48 formedlongitudinally of an arm 50 fast upon a shaft 52 arranged to oscillatein the sleeve 38 and in a bearing in the head 22. The shaft isoscillated by an arm 54 fast upon it (Fig. a toggle 56, pivoted to thearm and to the head, and an eccentric-rod 58 joined to the center of.the toggle, the strap of which rod surrounds an eccentric 60 secured toa shaft 62 journaled in the head parallel to the shaft 52.

.The shaft 62 carries a pulley 64 through which it is rotated from somesource of power.

I A rearwardly offset portion at 66 of the slide 44 has, at its front, avertically curved surface 68 (Fig. 6) against which rests thecomplemental surface I0 of a carrier member I2 adjustably secured to theslide by a slot-and-screw connection 74. Joined to the carrier by avertical pivot-screw I6 is an outwardly curved horizontal strip T8, thecentral portion of which lies opposite the feed-arm 30, furnishing arest for the bottom or tread-surface of a sole attached to a shoe. Theend of the rest 18 opposite its pivot has fixed in it an eye 80 engagedby a hook 32 providing a universal connection to a horizontal rod 84passing through an opening in a rearwardly extending bracket 86 attachedto the slide Interposed between the angular rear exto' the rod by ascrew 90 is a helical spring 92. .The rest I8 is urged by the springtoward the feed-arm, to an extent permitted by a collar 94 secured tothe rod for engagement with the end of the bracket, to hold the marginof the shoe- ;bottom gripped yieldably between the opposed members. Theapplied force may be altered by changing the position of the collar 88upon the rod. The bottom-rest may be withdrawn from the feed-arm by anarm 96 forked at its upper end to receive the rod 84 and attached to aspindle 98 (Fig. 2) guided to move horizontally in the head 22. Fixed tothe spindle is a collar I00, with which contacts an arm I02 rising froma shaft I04 journaled in the head transversely of the spindle. To theend of the shaft I04 opposite the arm I02 is fixed an arm I06 (Fig. 3),the upper end of which is engaged by the depending arm of abell-crank-lever I08 fulcrumed upon the head. To a horizontal arm of thebell-crank is pivoted a rod IIO leading to an unillustrated treadle,which is held raised by the customary spring. The normal position of thebell-crank is determined by a stop-screw II2 contacting with the head.Depression of the treadle and rod IIO, acting through the chain ofelements just indicated, shifts the arm 96 rearwardly '4 against acollar H4 fast upon the rod 84. This draws the bottom-rest rearwardlyfrom the feedarm, compressing the spring 92. The feed-arm 30 isoscillated in the correct time relation to the reciprocation of thebottom-rest to advance a shoe during an operation upon it, through anarm II6 having its hub secured to the shaft 28 (Fig. 7), a toggle H8,pivoted to the arm and to the head 22, and an eccentric-rod I20 actuatedby an eccentric I22 fast upon the shaft 62.

During the oscillation of the feed-arm 30 and the reciprocation of thebottom-rest 18, they are separated at the end of the forward stroke,freeing the work after a step in its advance, then closing again uponthe work at the termination of their idle reverse movement inpreparation for the production of the succeeding step. For this purpose,a movement of reciprocation fore and aft of the machine is imparted tothe feedarm. This arm is urged yieldably away from the bottom-rest by anexpansion-spring I24 (Fig. 2) contained in an axial bore in the shaft 28and abutting at its outer end against a plate I26 attached to the head22. Arranged to turn loosely upon the shaft 28 are arms I30 and I32. Thearm I30 (Fig. 9) is oscillated by its connection to an eccentric-rodI34, the strap of which encircles an eccentric I36 fast upon the shaft62. The arm I32 (Fig. 8) is oscillated oppositely to the arm I30 throughan eccentric-rod I38 actuated by an eccentric I40 upon the shaft 62. Onthe inner face of the hub of the arm I30 is a cam-depression I42, andcooperating with this, upon the hub of the arm I32, is a cam-projectionI44. At the time the feed-arm so is to be carried in to clamp the workagainst the back-rest 78, the cam depression I42 is turningcontraclockwise, as viewed from the front of the machine, while thecam-projection I44 is turning clockwise. As the inclined end Walls ofthe depression and'projection engage .and'pass each other, as a resultof their opposite movement, since the hub of the arm I30 bears at itsouter side against the adjacent surface of the'head 22, the projectionI44 rides out of the depression I42 onto the end of the hub of the armI30. The arm H6 is fixed to the shaft 28 and is backed by a collar I46,also fast upon the shaft and spaced from the adjacent surface of thehead. The feed-arm 30 is therefore abruptly shifted rearwardly towardthe bottom-rest i8 to'grip the sole-margin, which is thereafter asquickly freed when the projection and depression again mesh, because ofthe reverse oscillation of the arms I30 and I32 and the expansion of thespring I24. By the prompt engagement of' the feeding members, there isutilized the maximum time in an operating cycle of the machine duringwhich the Work may be advanced, and by their prompt disengagement, thereis minimized the time during which the work might back-feed.

To outline the manner in which thefeed-arm 30 and the bottom-rest I8cooperate to advance the work for the rounding of the sole s of a shoe Sby the chopping knife 36, the operator, by drawing down the rod IIOthrough the treadle, retracts the bottom-rest from the feed-arm andinserts the sole-margin between them, then releasing the treadle.Engagement of the crease With the guide 24 (Fig. 4) determines the paththrough which the work will move and the width of the sole-extensionproduced by successive cuts which the knife makes against its anvil. Atthe beginning of a work-advancing cycle, an d viewing the elements fromthe operators position at ame the front of the machine, :both thefeed-arm and thejbottom-rest are at the extreme right, with thebottom-rest having moved farther in that'direction than the feed-arm.They are spaced from each other transversely to such an extent that asole which has been between them will have been released; First, thefeed-arm is carried rapidly in by the cams I42 and I 44, so it acts uponthe upper margin of theshoe-bottom toclamp the tread surface against thebottom-rest. Starting at substantially the same time, the two feedingmembers are moved to the left through their full strokes by therespective eccentrics 60 and I22, the bottom-rest traveling more rapidlythan the feed-arm. As a result of this different rate of movement, andthe fact that, as may be seen in Fig. of the drawings, the work-engagingsurfaces'of themembers converge in the direction of travel, "a wedgingaction is produced, the bottomrest forcing the sole-margin outwardlyagainst the feed-arm. Thus, without the danger of 'marring thetread-surface of the sole, which would exist with the use of a roughenedmember, the work is firmly gripped, even if the sole presents a polishedor smooth surface. Having made the forward and fully effectivefeed-step, the feedarm is quickly withdrawn by the spring I24 aspermitted by cams I42 and I44 to release the work, and the bottom-rest18 is retracted to its initial position by the eccentric 60, thefeed-arm remaining in its advanced position while the rounding knife .36comes forward and makes its out against the anvil on the feed-point.This is followedby retraction of the feed-arm under the influence oftheeccentric I22 so both members are restored to normal, ready for thesucceeding operating cycle. It is .to be notedthat the work-feedingmovement of the bottom-rest 18 is rectilinear and. not oscillatory, asin the old machine. If the bottom-rest were to swing upwardly as well asforwardly in the advance of the work having soles of rubber or otherreadily compressible material, its upward pressure would cause thesole-edge to bulge outwardly and to be held in this condition while therounding knife makes its out. When released, the edge springs. back soan objectionable inward bevel would be formed instead of'the desiredvertical edge.

In the rounding of stitchdown shoes, in which a flange of the uppermaterial extends over the upper margin of the sole .9 (Fig. 4)irregularities occur in the surface of the flange which contacts withthe crease-guide 24. These may be the result of cutting away or pinkingthe flange to facilitate carrying the upper about the more sharplycurved peripheral portions of the shoe at the crease c, or; in absenceof such pinking, the flange may be puckered or gathered at the curvedportions. In the first instance, as the work is fed forward, the spacedfingers of the flange produced by the pinking may engage or be deflectedoutwardly by the edge of the guide. This will so position them that theywill not be trimmed by the knife 36. The projectionsof the unpinkedflange, by's'triking against the, edge of thecreaseguide, tend tointerfere with the advance of the work; "Toguard against these.difliculties, I attach to the t'o-p' of'the head 22, at the front, abracket I60 through which'is. a horizontal bore. Secured in the bore byav SBtHSCI'BW I62 is the shank I64 of a block [66. In a bore in theblock, extending transversely of the shank I64 is the shank I68 of abearing member I fixed in position by a set-screw I12. Rotatable in thebearing member is a spindle I14, the location of which longitudinally ofits axis may be determined by collars I16, I 16 ad'iustably secured tothe spindle by setscrews I118- The lower collar is normally spaced fromthe-adjacent end of the bearing. v The lower extremity of the spindle isroughened, it being herein shownas toothed 'by forming in its conicalend I19 peripheral grooves I and longitudinal grooves. I82. The capacityfor variation in the position of the shanks I64 and I68 bothlongitudinally and angularly, and for change in thie'longitudinalposition of the spindle, renders the end of said spindle universallyadjustable, .so it may be located in any chosen relation to the edge oftheguide 24 toward which the upper margin of the shoe-bottom advances.This is pref erably with the conical end in close proximity to theguide, the axis of the spindle being upwardly and rearwardly inclinedand the apex of the end preferably lying at or just below thecrease-entering end of the guide 24 and the side which engages the upperflange f .situated approximately in the plane of the flange-contactingface of the guide. The spindle I14 is rotated in a contraclockwisedirection, as viewed from above, by a :pulley I84 fast upon it, anddriven .by a belt I 86 operating over the guide-pulleys I88 rotatableupon a bracket I90 secured to the top of the head I22, and over a pulleyI92 flx-ed to the shaft 62.

As the surface of the flange f of the shoe 1S approaches the conicalspindle-end I19, it enters a converging throat formed between the uppermargin of the sole s and the curved surface of the spindle. Theroughened surface of the spindle presses against the surface .of theflange and smooths out any divided portions, unfailingly insuring thatthey will pass at the inner side of the guide 24 and will not contactwith its edge. Uneven portions of the flange-surface are compressed andsmoothed by the combined pressure and rotation of the spindle, so theylie at the inner side of the guide, where they do not interfere with thefeed of the work by engagement with the guide-edge. Because of thedirection of rotation of the spindle-end, it olfers no frictionalresistance to the advance of the work. Since the spindle is capable ofrising to a limited extent in its hearing, it floats in the crease c andis displaceable upwardly as the work is turned at curved portions.Consequently, it does not affect the positioning of the shoe by theguide. The angular adjustment of the bottom-rest 18 through change inthe position of its carrier 12, disposes the thread-engaging surfacecorrectly for differently curved shoe-bottoms. Since the center ofcurvature of the surfaces 68 and 10 preferably lies at the upper edge ofthe rest, the adjustment does not disturb the desired vertical relationof said rest to the cooperating portions of the crease-guide 24 andfeed-arm 30 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a rounding machine, trimmingmeans, a member by which the work isguided toreceive the action of the trimming means, and a pressure membersituated at the edge of the guide member toward which the Work advancesand presenting to the upper margin of 'a shoe-bottom a work-engagingsurface inclined forwardly and inwardly.

.. 2. In a rounding machine, trimming means, a member by which the workis guided to receive the action of the trimming means, and a pres- 75sure member situated at the edge of the guide member toward which thework advances. and presenting to the upper margin of a shoe-bottom awork-engaging surface inclined forwardly and inwardly, said pressuremember being free to move transversely of the margin.

3. In a rounding machine, trimming means, a member by which the work isguided to receive the action of the trimming means, and a rotatablepressure member situated at the edge of the guide member toward whichthe work advances and engaging the portion of the upper margin of ashoe-bottom which is about to be engaged by said guide member.

4. In a rounding machine, trimming means, a member by which the work isguided to receive the action of the trimming means, and a rotatablepressure member situated at the edge of the guide member toward whichthe work advances and engaging the upper margin of a shoe-bottom, saidpressure member being displaceable, by the work longitudinally of theaxis of rotation.

5. In a rounding machine, trimming means, a member by which the work isguided to receive the action of the trimming means, and a rotatablepressure member situated at the edge of the guide member toward whichthe work advances, said pressure member engaging the portion of theupper margin of a shoe-bottom about to be engaged by the guide memberand presenting to the said upper margin a surface inclined forwardly andinwardly.

6. In a rounding machine, sole-trimming means, a member by which thework is guided to receive the action of the trimming means, a rotatablepressure member situated at the edge of the guide member toward whichthe work advances, said pressure member engaging the portion of themargin of :a shoe-bottom about to be engaged by the guide member andpresenting thereto a surface inclined forwardly and inwardly, and meansfor rotating the pressure member.

7. In a rounding machine, sole-trimming means, a member by which thework is guided to receive the action of the trimming means, a pressuremember situated at the edge of the guide member toward which the workadvances and presenting to the upper margin of a shoe-bottom awork-engaging surface inclined forwardly and inwardly, a support for thepressure member, and means arranged to vary the position of the supportand pressure member to provide for the universal adjustment of saidmember.

8. In a machine for rounding the soles of shoes in which a flange ofupper-material extends over the upper margin of the sole, a guidereceiving the crease of the shoe and with the inner face of which guidethe flange contacts, a sole-rounding knife, work-feeding membersengaging the sole and flange to advance the work to receive the actionof the knife, and a rotatable spindle contacting with the flange at theedge of the guide toward which the work advances.

9. In a machine for rounding the soles of shoes in which a flange ofupper-material extends over the upper margin of the sole, a guidereceiving the crease of the shoe and with the inner face of which guidethe flange contacts, a sole-rounding knife, work-feeding membersengaging the sole and flange to advance the work to receive the actionof the knife, a rotatable spindle provided with a conical end contactingwith the flange at the edge of the guide toward which the work advances,and means for rotating the spindle to cause the flange-engaging surfaceof the conical end to turn in the direction of workadvance.

10. In a machine for rounding the soles of shoes in which a flange ofupper-material extends over the upper margin of the sole, a guidereceiving the crease of the shoe and with the inner face of which guidethe flange contacts, a sole-rounding knife, work-feeding membersengaging the sole and flange to advance the work to receive the actionof the knife, a rotatable spindle provided with a conical end contactingwith the flange at the edge of the guide toward which the work advances,said spindle being displaceable longitudinally of its axis by the shoe,and means for rotating the spindle to cause the flange-engaging surfaceof the conical end to turn in the direction of work-advance.

11. In a machine for rounding the soles of shoes in which a, flange ofupper-material extends over the upper margin of the sole, a guidereceiving the crease of the shoe and with the inner face of which guidethe flange contacts, a reciprocable sole-rounding knife, work-feedingmembers engaging the sole and flange to advance the work to receive theaction of the knife, a rotatable spindle contacting at one end with theflange, a support in which the spindle is rotatable, means arranged tofix the support in different positions to locate the spindle-enddifferently in the direction of advance of the work and toward and fromsaid work, and means arranged to determine the longitudinal position ofthe spindle.

12. In a machine for rounding the soles of shoes in which a flange 0fupper-material extends over the upper margin of the sole, a frame, aguide-carried by the frame and receiving the crease of the sole and withthe inner face of which guide the flange contacts, a sole-rounding knifereciprocable in the frame, work-feeding members movable upon the frameand engaging the sole and flange to advance the work to receive theaction of the knife, a supporting member mounted for adjustment upon theframe transversely of the path of the work and angularly in thedirection of work-advance, a second supporting member mounted foradjustment upon the first supporting member angularly toward and fromthe path of the work and in the general direction of work-advance, meansfor fixing the supporting members in different positions, and a spindlerotatable in the second supporting member for contact with the flange.

CORWIN W. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,319,296 Brostrom May 18, 1943

